Nikki Rosen's Blog, page 22

Gratitude

 "I thank God for my handicaps, for through them I have found myself, my work and my God." Helen Keller

Sometimes I think I take things too much for granted. Everyday kinds of things I don't think much about.....like waking up in the mornings....jumping out of bed and moving my body however I want. Simple things....but for some....super huge. 

Everyday normal stuff to me is not everyday normal stuff to someone else. I'm grateful for....

-the ability to see the world....especially the faces of my kids and the spectacular sights in nature
-the ability to speak and use my voice and hear the voices of others.
-the ability to hear sounds....the sweetness of a child's laughter, the song of a bird or the wind blowing through the trees
-the ability to stand up, run, hike, goof with the kids.....move however, whenever I want. 
-mostly....the ability to stand tall on the inside b/c He did what nothing else could.....He took my inability to live free and freed me from the inside out.
 

Gratitude

“There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must take it because conscience tells him it is right.” Martin Luther King Jr.

Doing the right thing....it's not always easy. In fact....sometimes it's darn hard. But not doing the right thing is worse.

Erin Brokovitch took a stand for what she knew was right even though at first she stood alone against the bullying and intimation of those she opposed. Erin knew the truth and she cared enough about others to fight for it.

Truth is a weird thing....sometimes I know the truth but something in me wants to turn away. I don't want to become caught up in disagreements or fights. But there are things way too important to sit back and pretend I don't know about, especially if it's something that hurts others. 

This week I"m grateful for people who took a stand for 'right' and refused to back down. Reading about these people.....the courage they had...the backbone to stand against powerful forces....I'm not sure I could do a fraction of what they did. These people totally inspire me.

-Martin Luther King, Jr. - the man had guts. He stood for truth... fought for equality...no matter what they did to him.  
-Erin Brokovitch - Those she opposed tried to silence her voice but truth pushed her to stand strong.
-Irene Sandler - She put her own life at risk to protect so many Jewish lives.
-Harriet Tubman....she knew the truth that God created everyone equal. She defied everything to free slaves again and again and again.  
-My faith in a God who gives me courage to do the right thing even when I'm afraid. And even when I stand alone.....I'm never alone. He's there always.....standing with me. 

Thankful Thursday

 “I think IF it's true that there are as many minds as there are heads, then there are as many kinds of love as there are hearts.”  Leo Tolstoy

We went down by the rickety bridge and found this goose off by herself separate from the other geese. Her leg was broken. My dgt said, the others had shunned her. We looked at her beak and saw the heart? She was gentle, and sweet, not aggressive like some of the others. 

She reminded me of some people I know. People who have suffered terrible things......trauma, illness or loss and yet amazingly, they're  so kind, accepting and loving. This week grateful for.....

-Unconditional love of animals. Give them a little food, they're friends for life. 
-Kids.....they give love no questions asked. 
-Marin in my story, A Twist of Innocence. She suffered the worst a child could suffer but she is the wisest and kindest woman I've met. When she talks.....I listen. I'm grateful for finding her and for her friendship.
-My 17 yr. old passed her drive test. She came home and told me, 'we did it together, Ma.' Made my heart melt.
-Mostly His love that cuts through every time. I wake up smiling b/c of it. I shake off the tough stuff b/c of it. It's so incredibly awesome that I want to reflect it to others so they can feel it too.   

Creation Calls

Linking with Faith Filled Fridays and  Spiritual Sunday

“The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quite alone with the heavens, nature and God..... because only then does one feel that all is as it should be.” Anne Frank


I feel the most alive and free when I'm out on the trails....or hiking in the hills or walking down near the lake. When I'm in the beauty and peace and power of nature...I have this strong sense that everything will work out and to not be afraid. 

I'm a newbie at making videos, but I made this one to try to capture the awesomeness of being out in His creation. All the pics are taken from places we hike. Hope you guys like it.  

Thankful Thursday

"Memories mean more to me than dresses." Anne Frank

Funny how my kids forget the stuff that I never do. Like the time my oldest was three and I took her to a park where they were putting on a two person play of Beauty and the Beast. After it was over we got up to leave. I looked down and noticed my daughter crying. 

I took her in my arms and asked what was wrong. Her answer - "She loved him," made me cry b/c my 3 yr. old got the gist of the story...and it touched her. 

And the time we were in Niagara Falls and an ET character reached his finger out to touch hers. At first she was afraid but he told her not to be and she let him touch her finger. The expression on her face is still clear in my brain.

Although my girls don't remember their early times......they love when I tell them the stories of 'remember when.'

Memories.....they're like movie reels that play in my head and make me sing. The good memories...The happy times.....those things that make up a life. This week grateful for......

-All the past fun stuff, those good times - grateful they're still alive in me.
-Happy places. We've been planning getaways and got excited remembering places we've been & the fun we had. We all agreed.....some of those places have to be repeats this summer.
-D.W. Haven't seen her in years. She's back in town, called me... wants to get together. She rattled on about how the two of us used to crack up laughing and how that was the best times for her at work. 
-Mr. W.....an old man whose words still live in me. He said the same thing every time I saw him, in his Jamaican drawl...'Inch by inch it's a cinch. Yard by yard it's hard.'  
-The best memory - that day in a hospital room when He touched me and changed all the bad to good. I remember looking at the trees, hills and grass....they had a brilliance and looked like velvet. It's as if I had never seen them before. That day is the best memory ever.....one I've never forgotten. One touch of His gentleness and all the horrible terrible things gone. Replaced with incredible love, peace and gratitude. Yep....that's the absolute best memory.

Thankful Thursday

“Try and fail, but don't fail to try.” Stephen Kaggwa

Trying for something...I think takes humungo courage.

My daughter's been worried about final exams. She wants to do well but is afraid she's won't cut the grade she wants. 

I told her not to worry....to just do her best. Some kids dropped the course....She's hung in. I think that says a lot about her. No matter what....I'm proud of her.

And for me...I know as long as I take a risk....try for something....it's what counts. I don't want to just think about doing things....or wish for them.....I want to try and make them happen.  If I've bombed......at least I've tried. Grateful this week for....

-Blueherons. They're my absolute favorite bird. Last night one flew right in front me. Took my breath away.
-Nature....just love being outside....in the woods...on the trails....
-Trips...getting excited....planning summer stuff and road trips to favorite places. 
-Mornings.....waking up early when everyone's still sleeping.
-Mostly for the incredible feeling in my gut that never goes away...a total gratitude for life.....and gratitude I'm part of it. I remember when life held no meaning....no hope....no reason for my being. His touch....the touch of His gentleness made all the difference. I want everyone to feel the way I do....to feel the joy and hope and peace I have now.

Rise

"Still....like air....I rise." Maya Angelou

Last summer my 12 yr. old saw a bleeding heart plant and begged me to buy it for her. She promised she'd take care of it. I bought it. She showered the plant with love and pride...even named it Sophie.

Fast forward this year - April - I stuck a large basket out back. In May my dgt. asked about Sophie..."Isn't she one of the flowers that comes back every year?"
I thought so but there was no sign of her. 
My dgt looked out the window and cried......'Maaaaa!'

We ran outside. I lifted the basked. There was Sophie squished into the ground.
"Ma, you killed her."
"Don't panic....maybe she'll come back."
My dgt raised her eyebrows at me but we watered. I prayed.Guess what? Sophie's back....taller and stronger than ever.

She reminds me of us. No  matter what life throws...Still like air we rise!  This week I'm thankful for.....

-Teens.....my oldest was presented with a humanitarian award. There were other teens also given the award....teens who are making a difference....going the extra mile...living kind. Awesome to see. 
-The resilience of people - somehow they survive horrible things: trauma...cancer...hurricanes...and they don't just survive, but somehow rebuild their lives.
-Flowers - They're everything in brilliant colours and smells that take my breath away. I love them!!!!
-Spring - it shouts life....no matter how dark or long or cold the winter....it always comes back and has the same effect - people everywhere smiling....happy...free.
-And mostly Him. He's the reason...the anchor that gives me hope and courage and moxey. I don't know how He does it but b/c of Him...I will always say.....'Still I rise.'

Thankful Thursday

“For me, every hour is grace and I feel gratitude in my heart each time I meet someone and look at his or her smile.” Elie WieselThe temps this week have been crazy...First cold....freezing in fact...then wet....heavy rains....and now super hot sticky.

The weather is so much like life..... crazy....wild....changing. One day...amazing stuff happens. The next nothing special....the one following that, something entirely different. So the week has been a reminder to me.....I need to just go with the flow...and take things as they happen. 
This week grateful for.....

-The smile of a stranger. Sometimes it just makes a huge different in the way I feel.
-Animals in the wild. We took friends to our favorite hiking trails and saw deer, rabbits, and other wildlife. They had never seen so many. They were in awe which made us over the moon happy. 
-Dentist. Got to put a plug in for him. He's a great guy.....his whole team are amazing. I had to have some work done and he charged me 1/4 of what he should have. He always does that. He and his wife and his team are gifts in my world. 
-Flowers....they're eye candy with their brilliant colours.....and incredible smells. Hard not to smile around them. 
-And mostly...this incredible joy inside b/c of knowing He loves me...and is always there. That amazes me...and makes me smile big time.  

Thankful Thursday

                           Grief does not change you. It reveals you.” John Green


32 year old Tim Bosma - son, brother, friend, husband, father....all around good guy. 

A couple of weeks ago, he tried to sell his 2009 truck on Kijiji. A couple of guys came to test drive it, but their real intention - a thrill kill. The family - Christians struggled to understand why.

And that tornado that destroyed so much. How do people even rebuild after that?

At Tim's funeral....his sister made a firm declaration, 'no matter what - we won't let go of hope. And we're going to trust something good will come out of this.'

Faith, hope - incredibly powerful stuff.  This week I'm grateful for:

-My faith  - it's an anchor that holds me steady and strong no matter what happens.
-Hope - a force that can overcome anything and everything. And something I've learned - 'giving up is never an option.'
-Family and friends....they're there in the fun times....the rough ....the sad - all times.
-Gift of prayer. Just knowing someone's praying for me makes a huge difference. Somehow it gives me greater courage and strength. 
-And mostly....His love that taught me love is stronger than anything else. Love that goes the distance. Love that never gives up or lets go. Love that sticks around and love that's the basis for hope and faith and everything good.   

Thankful Thursday

“When people ask me why I run, I tell them, it's the feeling when you cross that finish line, and know that you're a winner no matter what place you got.” Courtney Parsons

Sometimes things pay off in ways I don't anticipate: recognition, awards, wins. It's fun when that happens....but it's not the reason I do what I do.

Real winners to me, are the people who stand up, do what's in their hearts and reach for their best and don't give in to fear. 
This week I'm grateful for.....

-My daughter receiving a prestigious award for her humanitarian work in the community. She's a great kid....kind, giving and gentle and someone who inspires me to live my best life. 
-My dgt winning the writing contest at the school board. I love that the two of us share a love of writing.
-Writing a chunk more of my latest book, The Game Player. The characters are coming alive again. For awhile it was touch and go but now, I'm running with it again. Yeah!!!!
-For people everywhere who stand up, follow their hearts, have their voice and are making a difference in other people's lives. 
-Mostly - that He loved me enough to pull me out of darkness. He's the reason I wake up smiling. He's the reason I reach for my dreams. He's the reason life is so totally amazing now.